Jose Mourinho relaxed over player contracts at Man Utd

Jose Mourinho does not envisage any problems with players running down their contracts at Old Trafford – because the club has the bulk of the squad “under control”.

Last week Arsenal sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool, cashing in on the England international with his contract due to expire in the summer along with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.

The latter duo have remained at Arsenal amid continuing uncertainty over their futures and Mourinho is sure there will be no such issues at Old Trafford any time soon.

Juan Mata, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Ashley Young, Luke Shaw and Sam Johnstone have just a season remaining on their United deals, but the Portuguese points to the one-year extension clauses included within them.

The biggest question marks regard the future of injured striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and captain Michael Carrick, with the veterans’ contracts due to expire next summer.

“Of course it makes a difference [to have a one-year option],” Mourinho said.

“When the club has a one-year option, it means that the players have one more year of contract so nobody is in the last year.

“The two players are in this situation are Zlatan and Carrick – two players that at the end of the season who are going to sit and to analyse what they did and what they want to do.

“But just Carrick and Zlatan, all the other players are under the club control until end of the 18/19 season, so we are speaking about June ’19. No player ends his contract.”